My first Betta, I think she's dying, can you help?

This is a discussion on My first Betta, I think she's dying, can you help? within the Tropical Fish Diseases forums, part of the Freshwater Fish and Aquariums category; -->
HELP ME PLEASE! I WANT TO HELP MY FISH! She was living in a 2 gallon fish bowl but now that She's not eating ...

HELP ME PLEASE! I WANT TO HELP MY FISH! She was living in a 2 gallon fish bowl but now that She's not eating and seems to have no energy, I put her into a one gallon fish bowl thinking it might have been the bowl change that made her sick. I noticed she had pop eye/cloud eye so we treated it with bettafix and she no longer has that problem, but I noticed that she has a white laceration looking thing on her back and her scales on the white part kind of look like they're coming off, what is that? Also she looks like her fins are whithering away. Her behavior has changed dramatically and that bothers me. She used to be full of energy and loved when it was time to eat. I told my husband that she acted like a dog at dinner time wagging her tail back and forth in excitment following us from one side of her bowl to the other waiting for us to feed her. She no longer does that, I can't even get her to eat hardly anything. I only feed her 2x a day with betta flakes. I change the water once a week using tap water and a Bowl Buddie water conditioner that I let sit out over night in a gallon jug so the water temp will not be too cold. I also have a strand of aquarium greenery that sits in the bowl with a bridge for her to hide under. Is any of this the reason she is sick? What can I do? Her color is not faded but definately not a vibrant as it used to be. PLEASE HELP ME SAVE MY FISH I feel like she's depending on me to make her feel better.

It sounds as if you may be dealing with a bacterial and fungal infection together.
Considering she's in a bowl, medicating isn't real difficult, but you'll want to make sure her temp is up to 80 - 82 and steady.

Get fungus eliminator (not to be confused with other fungus meds made by Jungle, such as fungus clear... the ingredients are different) and Methylene blue, dose them into a bucket of clean water and do 100% water change daily for 7 - 10 days. This combination of medications is pretty potent while still being safe, and about the best I've found for the bettas after 10+ yrs of research.

If you notice things start clearing up and getting back to normal after 3 - 5 days, don't stop medicating until the full 7 - 10 days is up. 3 days after symptoms disappear is going to be important in making sure it doesn't come back.

I would not suggest the fungus tabs. Those won't treat for a bacterial infection, and if this is what I am suspecting, the fish will only get sicker.

Fungus Eliminator and methylene blue together will treat for both fungal and bacterial at the same time, and are completely safe to use.

If dealing with a combination of both bacterial and fungal problem, and only 1 of those problems is being treated for, the other will continue to get worse, and once medication is stopped, the other will return.

In a combination infection such as that, the bacteria infection is usually first, and the fungus feeds on the bacteria and dead matter that the bacteria destroys. If the fungus clears up, the bacterial infection will continue to run rampant, and then the fungus will return to feed on the bacteria and dead matter again. It's an endless cycle unless both are treated together. The longer it goes on the weaker the fish gets, until it is unable to fight off either problem, even with medication.

I went to several stores and called all the fish stores here in Wichita, Kansas and I can't find fungus eliminator anywhere. I found the methylene Blue but the only fungus product by Jungle is Fungus Clear. The people at the fish store told me to use primifix, is this the same as fungus eliminator and methylene Blue mixed together? I'd like to start giving my betta medicine this evening so She can hopefully get better soon. What should I do?

I can't find the fungus eliminator to go with the methylene blue. I was told to use primifix by one person, and marisyn(spell check)by another. Are either of these safe to use on a betta with a bacterial and a fungal infection that's living in a 2 gallon bowl? Which one would work better? What should I do? My bettas having trouble breathing and needs medication soon. Please help. Thanks a lot! -Dez

Of those 3 products the fungus clear is the closest to the fungus eliminator, and the only one safe to mix with the methylene blue.
Pimafix and maracyn are both very weak medications, and don't have a very high success rate, especially when dealing with both fungal and bacterial infections together.

Thank you for your help, I could cry right now because everyone thinks I'm crazy for trying so hard to figure out how to save this betta. They think I should flush her down the toilet and get it over with but I want so badly to see her healthy again. To me a life is worth being saved whether it's a fish or a person, so thank you.
I have one more request, could you please give me step by step basics on how to mix and give meds (fungus clear & methylene blue) including when and how often to do water changes during the medication process. What should I use to mix them in? Do I mix them seperately then pour them into the bowl water after I've cleaned the bowl, or what? Will it tell me how much to mix together on the bottles? I don't want to overdose her. Are there side effects that I should be aware of?
Should I take the pillar decoration out of the water while medicating? I'm getting ready to go get the fungus clear right now, but I don't think I'll have the methylene blue until the morning. Can I go ahead and give fungus clear tonight and then change water again in the morning with the two meds together? How often do I give meds?
I'm sorry about all the questions, I know I have a lot, I just want to save my bettas life. Thank you for taking time out to help me, you have no idea how appreciative I am. I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks again! [/b]

It is best to start the meds together. Get yourself a bucket, measure the water going in, then dose the meds both to the bucket of water. Methylene blue is 1 drop per gallon, I am not sure about the fungus clear. Read the directions on the bottle and dose the bucket with both meds, mix with a fish net or something similar, let stand 10 minutes, then mix once more to make sure all of the medication is thoroughly mixed in the bucket of water.
Once the medicated water is mixed, use this to do a 100% water change in the bowl each day for 10 days. Once the meds are in the bucket of water, this water is safe to use for 48 hrs, then must be dumped and mixed fresh. Please be careful not to overdose the meds in the bucket.
You can leave decorations in or out, your choice. The meds won't hurt them, and having somewhere to hide will help to keep stress levels down with your fish. Any live plants that may be in the bowl should be moved to a bowl of clean water and left there until medication is done. These meds will harm live plants.

As for wanting to save your fish... I agree with you that every life is precious. That is why I come here to help others as often as I can. I have spent the past 10+ yrs studying, researching, and experimenting with betta illnesses and the available medications to treat them.
If bettas are your passion like they have been mine, and if you wish to keep more bettas in the future, hang onto that methylene blue, and maybe consider ordering fungus eliminator online. I can help you find it online if you need, just let me know. Those 2 meds together (not fungus clear) are the most effective on most betta illnesses and injuries. Anyone keeping bettas should have those 2 meds on hand. New fish coming home should spend the first 7 - 10 days on that same med schedule I listed above as a preventive, and if something should happen later, those are going to be the best 2 meds together to treat most everything except parasite problems.
Also remember that water temp is very important to a betta, and 80 - 82 degrees is the safest temp range, especially if the fish is sick.
Best of luck to you and your fish!